


día de acción de gracias

by hotkniife



Series: the iron rider chronicles [1]
Category: Ghost Rider (Comics), Iron Man (Comic), Marvel
Genre: Age Difference, Bisexual Male Character, Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 07:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2059236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotkniife/pseuds/hotkniife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Thanksgiving in San Francisco, and Tony Stark would <i>sincerely</i> appreciate it if you stopped acting like it was weird for him to be dating a teenager. What happens between Tony and his young Latino lover is their business, and their business alone.</p><p>Except, when it isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	día de acción de gracias

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically the result of a crackship gone horribly wrong. Proceed with caution, because the awesome might knock you on your ass.
> 
> Ostensibly takes place during _Superior Iron Man_ , but in a modified version of events where Tony moves to San Francisco to explore his newly-embraced bisexuality instead of what he's actually meant to be doing there. No real spoilers for _All-New Ghost Rider_ , unless you're totally unfamiliar with it --- which you shouldn't be, because it's really good. Go read it!
> 
> All you need to know is that Tony meets Robbie while scouting for property in Los Angeles and accidentally starts dating him, thusly forming the Marvel universe's latest (and obviously, GREATEST) new crackship: Iron Rider!

 

Robbie buttoned his crisp white shirt to the very top, looking decidedly (and uncharacteristically) uptight. He had to make a good impression tonight, after all. He was finally going to meet some of of Tony’s closest friends and allies, after months of dating him in relative secrecy. Lots of things just came out of blue in his life: the departure of his parents, being thrust into the role of parenting Gabe, sometimes finding himself in Tony’s bed.

He stopped overthinking these things a while ago. The less pondering, the better. He just wished he wasn’t so nervous about Tony’s Thanksgiving celebration, being held at his new digs in San Francisco. It wasn’t quite the adobe he’d want for himself and Gabe in Los Angeles, but it was a nice diversion. He kind of wished he had a Jarvis of his own, but that was a pipe dream for another time and place.

While struggling with the uppermost button, Robbie heard a deep voice calling for him from behind his head. “Ready, babe?” Tony called from the doorframe, taking in the tall drink of water that was his (much younger) boyfriend. Despite their considerable age difference of fifteen years, give or take, Tony never felt gross about his relationship with Robbie. Mostly because they didn’t look all that much alike. The last thing Tony needed was people mistaking Robbie for his long-lost son, and as far as he could tell, the teen wasn’t one for daddy kink. Unfortunately.

The story of Tony Stark and Robbie Reyes’ Great Love Affair (trademark pending) had its beginning back in LA, when Tony was perusing the younger male’s neighborhood for signs of possible gentrification. Happy must have been distracted by some leggy blonde on the sidewalk to have completely missed Robbie steer Gabe around in his chair and accidentally collide with them; though the boys walked away from the incident unscathed, Gabe’s brand new chair wasn’t so lucky. Vowing to make it up to them -- Tony may have been privileged and wealthy, but he wasn’t cruel -- the billionaire (and Iron man himself) devised a brand new wheelchair for the kid and offered it up to them for free. Robbie wanted to refuse the thing; he didn’t need Gabe assuming that all people were generous like Mr. Stark clearly was. But on the other hand, chairs were really expensive…

Robbie wasn’t happy to admit defeat like that. Everything he and Gabe had together was the product of his long hours at the garage. Nothing was free in life, and never had been. Until that damn wheelchair. It was really nice, too. Robbie hated him for it.

That was, until the one day he didn’t. What began as a simple, cross-generational romance blossomed into a complicated, (still) cross-generational romance. When Gabe had to ask if Tony was his boyfriend, Robbie couldn’t lie to himself any longer. He was dating Iron _fucking_ Man, and resistance was futile. Even if coming to terms with the truth was a fresh, daily challenge, Robbie was all for taking it head-on. If he could deal with a ghost haunting him constantly, then dating a superhero had to have been child’s play.

“Almost done, just trying to get this last button…” said Robbie, displaying obvious signals of struggle. Tony could tell Robbie wasn’t big on formalwear, much less owning any of it. It was a miracle that he could have his and Gabe’s outfit for the night delivered at a moment’s notice. The perks of being rich, Robbie mused. He could never relate with such opulence, but that didn’t stop him from half-heartedly attempting to.

“You don’t have to button all of these, you know. I think you’d look really good with the last few undone. That’s just my opinion, though. I’m real big on the loose Miami look.”

“You think so?”

“Mhm. Maybe I just want an excuse to look at that delectable chest of yours, though…” the older male said, gently poking the smooth, tanned flesh on display. Robbie’s cheeks turned a demure shade of pink at Tony’s flirtation. They always did. Tony was just so slick and charming that he couldn’t help it, even if he tried.

“There you go, all shiny and handsome for our guests.”

“Shiny with grease, maybe…” said Robbie. He wasn’t convinced.

Tony chuckled softly. “I’ll have you know, chico, that I love a good blue collar. White collars are stuffy. I don’t like stuffy. I like you.”

For somebody with such a loaded reputation, Tony proved himself to be deceivingly sweet. Robbie wondered how many people got to see this side of him; couldn’t have been very many. He liked thinking he could be such a presence in somebody else’s life —- well, somebody other than Gabe. And Eli.

A philanthropist superhero slash unlikely lover, his paraplegic kid brother, and a vaguely demonic ghost who haunted the car he drove in. If that wasn’t a bizarre, eclectic mix of people to associate with, then Robbie didn’t know what was.

“I literally just finished a shift at the garage before I picked up Gabe and drove ourselves here. I think I took, like, five showers just to get the smell of exhaust off me…”

“You smell fine, Robbie. Stop psyching yourself out, alright? It’s not like Captain America’s here or anything. He’s much too busy for novelty visits during the holiday season,” said Tony. He never fashioned himself as being much of a comforter, but someone like Robbie needed lots of comforting. Despite Robbie’s perceived maturity in looks and attitude, he was still very much a teenager who craved acceptance. It didn’t bother Tony much; in a way, his own youth wasn’t dissimilar. Back then, he had the wealth and means to cover up his securities with toys and women. Gabe was the only thing Robbie had to stay sane.

“Alright, alright. I’ll try to keep it cool. And prevent Eli from burning the place down, too.”

“That’s my boy. Come on, Jarvis said the turkey’s almost finished. You still gotta meet Pepper, and Rhodey.”

Robbie was unnaturally excited about finally having the opportunity to have a real, honest to God Thanksgiving turkey. In all eighteen of his years on Earth, Robbie had never once eaten turkey once. Life was just full of all these firsts lately. He could only hope he’d live long enough to experience more and more of them. Preferably with Tony by his side.

Eli could stay, too, but only if he kept quiet and minded his own business. The flames were starting to get a bit tiresome.

* * *

Dinner proceeded harmoniously, as if there was even a slight doubt that it wouldn’t. Not with Jarvis at the helm of it all.  The turkey was cooked to perfection, as were the side dishes he complimented the main course with, and conversation flowed effortlessly around the table. Robbie kept mostly to himself (though Gabe was another story entirely, excitedly chatting up anybody with ears and then some), which Tony expected. Introverts like Robbie don’t open up to others easily, which made Tony all the more smug about working his way into the teen’s cozy, possessed little heart. He didn’t know how he did it, but he was glad that it happened.

After grazing the room to make polite, innocuous conversation with guests that only Pepper could have invited -- his accountant’s neighbor, really? -- Tony found himself being approached by the trusty redhead herself. He could never quite anticipate whatever Pepper had to say to him, but knowing Pepper, it was probably something accusatory. On most days, no news from Pepper was good news. It was what he loved most about her.

He couldn’t figure out where Robbie had wandered off to; probably wheeling Gabe around or something. Robbie was nothing, if not a doting big brother. It was what Tony perhaps loved most about him, aside from his pronounced sense of pride that almost prevented them from ever moving beyond the ‘angry at being hit by a limo’ stage of their early relationship.

“Tony, got a minute?” Pepper asked as she moved closer, softer in tone than what he’d expected. Maybe she _wasn’t_ going to scold him for something. That would have been a radical change for her. At least it always came from a place of loving. Deep, impatient loving --- which, coincidentally enough, was Tony’s favorite kind.

“I got lots of those, Pepper. Literally. I got unlimited minutes on my cellular plan. The Verizon said it was a superhero bonus, just for me!”

Pepper tipped her head to the side, unsure if she found Tony’s brand of humor charming or annoying, but it was usually some middle ground between the two. “I don’t know how to ask this, so I’ll just get it out in the open. You and Robbie --- there’s nothing _weird_ going on, right?”

“Excuse me?”

Pepper cleared her throat. “Well, you know, he’s just so…”

“Young?” asked Tony, narrowing his eyes at the implication she was making. She nodded.

Tony knew ‘invasive’ was kind of Pepper’s thing, but this was exactly the opposite of what he wanted to deal with tonight. “First of all, Pep, what happens between me and my young, Latino lover is our business, and our business only. But to answer your question, no. I’m not trying to ‘take advantage’ of him. I genuinely, legitimately care for him, okay?”

Pepper always knew when Tony was being facetious about something. There was usually a tell: over-defensiveness, a slight twitch in his nose, non-direct eye contact. Tony hadn’t displayed any of those signs, so he had to have been telling the truth. This was truly unprecedented; Pepper was shocked. Was Tony finally becoming a real boy?

“Alright, Tony I believe you…” she relented. “I had a nice little chat with Robbie before,” she said, tilting her head in the teen’s direction a little ways off. As the two of them could see, Robbie was engaging in conversation with Rhodey, or at least, Gabe was the one actively participating. Robbie looked tired, but happy to be there. That was all that mattered to Tony, when push came to shove. If Robbie wasn’t happy, then what was the point in showering him with loads of affection?

“And?” Tony asked.

“He has a good head on his shoulders. I gotta say, I was impressed. When you told me you were dating a teenager, I was…”

“Suspicious.”

Pepper nodded. “But the way you look at him is different than you usually look at your romantic conquests. You don’t stare at him like a piece of meat.”

“Hey, I do that sometimes.”

“Maybe, but most of the time, you just look, I don’t know, _fond_ of him. It’s really nice, is all I’m saying. Don’t screw this up, okay? Against my better judgement, I think this thing you got going with him is good for you.”

Wow, an approval from Pepper. Tony relished every last second of what she had to say. “Well, thanks? I don’t think you’ve ever given me such approval over a person I’ve dated…”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Pepper smiled. “As much as I wanna continue to applaud your recent life decisions, I have to go help Murdock find his cane. He says somebody stole it, but I don’t know about that; speaking of Robbie, though…” she said, pointing to the younger male as he walked over with Gabe and Rhodey in tow. With that, she slivered off without a further word. He hoped Murdock would find his cane before leaving, because the last thing Tony needed was a new toy to play with.

“Ah, Tony, we were just talking about how unreliable you are most of the time.”

_Goddamit, Rhodey._

“Pepper put you up to this, didn’t she?” Tony asked, extending a hand over to Gabe for a quick high-five. Gabe loved high-fives, so Tony loved supplying them to him. His hands were starting to get a little red, though. Occupational hazzard, Tony figured.

“Not at all. I just think Robbie’s a good kid who should know what he’s getting into with you.”

“Robbie’s real good, I know for a fact!” said Gabe, beaming a smile that could probably power one of Tony’s suits for at least an hour. Robbie grinned appreciatively at his little brother’s conviction; if there was one person he was most concerned about making happy, it was Gabe. Tony was fast becoming a close second, but he’d never edge out Gabe.

“I thought the turkey would tire him out a bit…” Robbie said, slightly embarrassed at Gabe’s constant energy. He just hoped he wasn’t annoying any of the guests at the party. This wasn’t Chuck E. Cheese. It was _Iron Man’s_ house.

“Nah,” Tony dismissed. “The more energy, the better. Right, little man?”

“Right!” Gabe agreed.  

“To answer the original question,” Robbie began, “I’m pretty sure I can handle Tony. I kinda figured this wouldn’t be a normal setup for me and Gabe a while ago. But hey, I like a challenge. I can take on anything, I promise.” Robbie may have been eighteen, but he wasn’t dumb; if Tony were really as bad as his closest friends suggested, then he wouldn’t have even considered showing his face in San Francisco tonight, period. Having come from the streets, Robbie liked to think his intuition was sharper than most, and Tony seemed trustworthy. He could maybe count all of the people he truly trusted on one hand --- Tony, Gabe, and _maybe_ Eli. It always came back to damn Eli.

Tony nodded at Robbie’s interjection, beaming with pride at his show of confidence. “See? The kid knows what he’s getting into with me. No need to coddle him like a child, Rhodey.”

“Alright,” said the pilot, all but throwing his hands in defeat. “I’ll lay off. This is just weird for us all to see. You, in a normal relationship…”

Instantaneously, Tony pulled Robbie by the shoulders into a loving embrace  “Yeah, yeah, I already heard this preamble from Pepper earlier. No need to worry about us, Rhodey. I’ll take good care of him. And Gabe, too.” Taking Tony’s words as face value for what had to have been the first time ever -- lots of firsts for everybody tonight -- the pilot soon backed away to help find that damn cane of Murdock’s, which was apparently quite the group effort at this point.

“You’re not really gonna mess me up or anything, right?” Robbie asked.

“No more than that haunted car of yours does, chico.”

Robbie smiled. He could deal with Tony’s craziness.

* * *

The party was, surely enough, an overall success. Murdock did find his cane, after all; it was exactly where he’d left it, right by his chair in the dining room. Tony had to ask why it became such an endeavor, but ultimately, did it matter? He figured it didn’t.

Perhaps more difficult than finding that cane was putting Gabe to bed. Robbie was used to putting in the struggle; Tony, however, wasn’t. It would just take some getting used to was all. That kid had more energy than Tony knew was to do with, so Robbie insisted his lover get ready for bed while calming the youngster down on his own. Exactly forty-two minutes later, Robbie groggily entered the room and began to undress, removing his dress shirt and slacks, but opting to leave the tank and boxers underneath. To him, that was dressing comfortably for bed.

Tony usually slept in the nude, but since there was a kid in their midst, he opted to dress conservatively in lounge pants and a tee. Robbie appreciated the extra effort, even if he liked seeing Tony scantily-clad and sexy. Maybe another night. Slipping into bed without a word, Robbie was ready and raring to fall victim to a night’s slumber. The day had simply drained him, but in the best ways possible.

Tony’s bed wasn’t as comfortable as Robbie’s; the teen didn’t like its massive size, nor it’s slight sturdiness. Back home, falling into bed after a long day of work and taking care of Gabe was like collapsing into a pile of feathers. The only real advantage Tony’s bed had over his own was the simple fact that Robbie’s bed couldn’t fit the both of them at once. It was a very specific distinction.

“Have fun tonight, babe?” Tony asked, adjusting his position to face the younger male.

Robbie nodded. “Mhm.”

“I’m pretty sure Pepper wants to adopt Gabe. Like, for real.”

Robbie smiled faintly. “As nice as she seems, she can’t have him. Gabe’s my responsibility. Nobody else’s.” Robbie didn’t mean to sound as woefully serious as he did, but the sentiment stood. He’d already fended off Social and Child Protective Services one too many times for the notion of his little brother being taken away to sound the least bit funny.

“That’s just Pepper’s maternal instinct for you. I’ll break the news to her in the morning; did you seriously call her _Ms. Potts_ , though?” asked Tony, lips turned upward at Robbie’s formality toward her.

“What am I supposed to call her, then?” Robbie asked. He thought he was being polite. Then again, Tony wasn’t so big on societal expectations…

“Pepper hates it when people call her ‘miss.’ She says it makes her feel ‘matronly.’ Which is why I’m going to start calling her that. She’ll despise me for a whole week, maybe two.”

“You’re such a douche,” Robbie giggled. There was the youthful ball of energy Tony’d fallen head over heels for, playfully teasing him with the swagger to back it up. “Is that why your friends are so mean to you? Maybe you should check it out a bit...

“I think I should check _you_ out.”

Robbie scoffed. “You’ve been checking me out all night, Tony.”

“Am I that obvious?” Tony asked, recalling Pepper’s earlier comment.

“Tony, you’re as subtle as a brick. But I like that. You don’t play games with me. I’m tired of being played with, you know?”

The billionaire nodded. “Yeah I know. C’mere,” he said, pulling Robbie into his embrace.

“Thanks, by the way.”

“Thanks? For what?” asked Tony.

“I dunno, for everything? Just … thanks. You’re too nice to us, me and Gabe.”

“Well, they don’t call me a philanthropist because I’m cocky, egotistical, irresponsible…” began Tony, only to be silenced by Robbie’s pillowy lips on his own. Tony kinda really liked kissing Robbie; he was always so eager to please, yet so gentle and innocent about it.

“I’m really tired,” said Robbie, yawning in the process. “Can we just catch some Z’s now? We can talk in the morning, or something?”

“Does ‘something’ include me touching your butt?” Tony asked, snaking a hand to Robbie’s pert bottom, before being interrupted by the boy himself.

“Be a good pillow tonight, and we’ll see.”

Tony relented his grasp. “Alright, until the morning. Sweet dreams, chico. I know I’ll be having them… of your butt…” Within minutes, both men were asleep.

Robbie wasn’t one for the lap of luxury, but with enough practice, he could _totally_ get the hang of this. He hadn’t come back from the dead to live a life less exciting, that was for sure.

And he _really_ liked it when Tony touched his butt. Someday, he'd even admit as much. Just not tonight. 

 


End file.
